CROWDS AT PALAIS CARNIVAL DANCE, DARWIN Over 200 were present at tho Anniversary Carnival Dance at the Catholic Palais, Darwin, last Fri day, when pupils of the Darwin School of Dancing made their first appearance as an ensemble. Dances were interspersed with five' ballets. The Highland Fling, danced by Miss Colleen Ryan was very well received, and as an en core tho Shaen-Trubiass (pro nounced 'Trews') was given. The first of two floor shows was a rhythm ballet, four of its mem bers, Misses Marea Callinan, Jill Osborne, Hazel Gaden and Shirley Brooks, costumed in smart green outfits, the skirt knife-pleated to a hip yoke, and finished with red buttons. Green mortar-boards with red tassels were worn. Fifth member of the ballet, Miss Lor raine Bridges, in lavender and green, top hat and tails, sang 'Dark Town Strutters' Ball,' arfd joined in the ballet chorus. Second ballet was a waltz num ber, in long white sequin-studded net skirts with satin bodice, a.nd net-frilled picture hats. M...

This popular Picture Theatre which stars only the best in Films, again has its usual bright programme for tonight. It has such crowded houses that the Management wants the public to know that any reservations made must be claimed and paid for before 7.15 p.m. or otherwise they will be sold. PROGRAMME FOR SATURDAY The Laugh-a-minute Lowdown On How Swooning Was Born Eddie BRACKEN, Veronica LAKE, Diana LYNN in 'OUT OF THIS WORLD' with Cass Daly and featuring Carmen Cavallaro, Ted Plorito. Henry King, Ray Noble Joe Ruchman. For Gen. Ex. Supported by ..... Dorothy LAMOUR and Ray MILLAND in 'THE JUNGLE PRINCESS' with Aldm TAMIROFF and Lynn OVERMANN. Not for Gen. Ex. MONDAY, JUNE 30 A Story of Love and Hate. A Hate that Ruined the Lives of Three Sisters Phyllis CALVERT and James MASON in 'THEY WERE SISTERS' with Hugh Sinclair and Anne Crawford, Peter Murray Hill Not for Gen. Ex. Supported by . . . SHORTS . . . SHORTS WEDNESDAY, JULY 2 Wallace BEERY and Marjorie MAIN in 'JACKASS MAIL' with ...

Women's Column CUP OF TEA CHAT BY SUK Ting-a-ling ! ! 'Hello ?' 'Oh, yes Miss Dash — why yes — 1 would love to — three-thirty — I'll be there. 'Bye.' And that was a bright afternoon tea chat. Miss Dash was a vivac ious as ever and her endeavour was to interest her friends in a proposed Dramatic Club. She of course, intends to jjive it her sup port and one can well imagine her 'putting it over the footlights' with gusto. Mrs. Peese felt that she would be rather self-conscious but was willing to assist behind the scenes if that would help the club along. But Mrs. Long assur ed her at length, that after a few rehearsals, most people found themselves' so thoroughly engross ed with the character they were portraying and tin; action of the world of that character, that they were quite oblivious to the au dience and entirely lacking in sdf consciousness. Being a willing person, Mrs. I'eese agreed to test her friend's theory. We, who are keen on the histrionic art, will do all we can to hel...

THE LATE SIR THOMAS BUCKLAND Sir Thomas Auckland, who died recently a little short of 9!) years of age, made a large portion of his fortune in cattle properties around Charters Towers, in North Queens land, where he was once President of Dalrymple Shire Council, and whore he had also been in business as an assayor in the roaring gold -mining days of that town. When I was there as a youngster they used to tell a story of a cattle station Mr. Buckland had for sale at .£90,000. Various offers short of that figure were made and not accepted ; and the negotiator ask ed : 'Do you mean to say you won't take a penny less* than .£90,000 ?' 'Oh, I might take a penny less,' said Buckland. And in due course the sale went through for .£89,999/19/11.

UNKIND ? .u. — A small boy was late for Sun day-school and the minister in quired the cause. 'I was going, fishing, but father wouldn't let me,' said the boy. 'That's the right kind of father to have,' replied the minister ; and did he explain why you were not to go ?' 'Yes, sir. He said there wasn't enough bait for both of us.'

NEWS FROM DARWIN Owing to the keenness of the Customs officials in Darwin, in tending smugglers find themselves at a loss these days, and many a bundle of smuggled goods, cigar ettes, nylon stockings and imita tion pearls and gut fishing lines, goos 'into the drink' before the R.A.A.F. planes reach Darwin. Smuggling is not a profitable game these days; at least, through the Darwin channels, the Customs, officials are too alert. The heads of the R.A.A.F. have been' greatly perturbed at the enormous amount of ammunition being stolen from R.A.A.F. am munition dumps in recent months, and are using every endeavour to check this thieving. Recently, black trackers were put on the job, and they traced a truck, through a patch on its tyres, more than eight miles through the bush, till they landed on a cache of stolen goods. Sixty-two cases, which contained many thousands of rounds of ammunition, were found in the dump, and the owner of the truck was arrested and charged with theft of the amm...

CATHOLIC BALL Alice Springs is a city of amen ities, and the chief among these as possibly elsewhere is dancing. Here, however, it is done, in style, nothing is left to chance, so that the young people coming to enjoy themselves and the elder chaper ons have only themselves to blame if they do not have a good time. Without a doubt, the dance on Monday evening was exceptionally bright. With hostesses Mesdames Heenen and O'Keefe to welcome you, a perfect dancing floor — eight big shaded lights and a ceiling interlaced with streamers of var ious colors — pretty girls, dressed in many, charming colors and par ticularly well-groomed partners, the party was the essence of en joyment. Soft soothing music came from a platform where Mr. St. Clair and Mrs. pritchly at the piano, Mr. Pond, steel guitar and Mi. .Jones, drums, acted as orches tra and gave the perfect time so necessary for enjoyable dancing. The happy faces whirling around were sufficient evidence that all was well. The matrons a...

SURVEY OF AREAS NEAR DARWIN FOR FRUIT AND V EG ET A BLE G ROW I N'G While a party from the Council for Scientific and Industrial Re search was carrying out a general reconnaissance suhvey of the Darwin-Katherine area in 194(5, a request war. made by the Admin istration' that the party investigate the suitability of two areas near Darwin for production of fruit and vegetables. At present the in sufficient local production is on scattered small farms from 70 to 220 miles from Darwin, and the en couragement of production in areas closer to Darwin is undoubtedly desirable. Two areas were surveyed, one at Fannie Bay and one at Merri niah. In regard to the Fannie Bay area, the surveyors' reported that two major soil variations were obsei-ved, these being : — (a) soil of the upper gentle slope from the Fannie Bay cliffs towards the man groves : and (b) the soil occurring on the slopes below the massive laterite. After analysing the soils avail able at varying depths, the party concluded th...

CONVENIENCES It has been suggested to the 'Centralian Advocate' that time is now ready for the Department of sanitation to erect some con veniences adjacent to our streets for both men and women. Our city should be up-to-date and this is part of such ventures.

ALICE AERODROME FRONT ENTRANCE TO CITY It is a disti'essing feature that when the plane lands at oui' large an I up-to-date drome, the passen trern are immediately assaulted bv hundreds of flies. Seeing that in Alice Springs '?'nd in the vicinity of the drome there ai'e practically no flies, it is time that our Sani tary Department sent a man out with sprays and to see what is done — or not done — with the gar bage. In this particular spot ? our front door — it is a very bad advertisement to people that are only passing through. The mat ter wants urgent and immediate attention. Passengers by plane always look on the worst side and here they have ample ground for com plaint. ATTENTION PLEASE.

RUBIES AND GARNETS — :o: — Sprinkled through a creek known as Ruby Creek and situated on Mt. Riddock Station, the property of Mr. Webb, are great numbers of small black stones, not at all impressive and nine out of ten people walking over them would not give them a second thought. These are, however, rubies and garnets, principally garnets, yet some valuable rubies have come from there, when cut they look just magnificent and are orna ments that any glamour girl would be proud to wear. The writer received a small bag ful and taking the best of them to Melbourne had 100 cut and polished, and bringing them back west was beseiged by all the pret ty girls, who of course, only want ed 'just one.' He did not know why he suddenly became so popu lar, all the nice things he was told and naturally believed, made hini gaze in rapture each evening in the mirror, at laHt he knew how easy it was for .brrol v Jynn, Clarke Gable, etc. However, it was not long . before the 100 gems were gone, and as...

VISITORS FROM SOUTH — :o: — It is indeed pleasing to see so many jovial visitors coming north, and of course, this paper is de lighted to meet them, seeing that they come up with abundant energy and an abundance of cash. The Editor went out of his way to mention the many beauty spots. In between he understood that they expected to take back with them many sourvenirs. Still they are a canny lot, so far, we have only been able to sell them Anzac Monument, and the Big Dipper, but there is a raffle on for the Stuart design in our park. Likewise they are taking shares in a gold brick enterprise around these parts and the 'Centrahan Advocate' hopes to be able to pay his grocer from the proceeds. They are a happy lot and very pleased indeed with the wonder ful weather after leaving the south and the hospitality of Alice Springs, and they ask us to ex press that opinion to the inhab itants here. Naturally they called first at the news office, any one of the best society does that, and after...

REPATRIATION TO THE UNITED KINGDOM OF ROYAL NAVY PERSONNEL The British Admiralty has re cently announced revised condi tions in relation to repatriation to the United Kingdom at Public Ex pense for former R.N. personnel who have been released in Avstra lia.. It has now been decided that persons who have been released in India and British Dominions or Colonies, Protected or Man dated Territories, in accordance with the Release Instructions may retain the right to i*eturn to the United Kingdom at Public Expense for two years aftr date of release unless dependants are granted a passage to joint them when all I'epatriation rights will cease. An officer or rating who married on the Station before his release will be entitled to a passage to United Kingdom at the Public Ex pense within twoyears for himself and his dependants. When mar riage occurs after release, he will be entitled to a passage within two years for himself only. Applications for passages under this ruling should be addres...